Hygrometer device



- April 4, 1961 H. M. DEAN 2,977,798

HYGROMETER DEVICE Filed April 3. 1959 IN V EN TOR.

l United St HYGROMETER DEVICE Hiram M. Dean, 5109 Manila Ave., Oakland, Calif.

Filed Apr. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 803,993

3 Claims. (Cl. 73335) The present invention relates to a device for indicating changes in weather conditions that can be carried in the pocket and used to indicate roughly changes of humidity in the atmosphere. 7

The main object of the invention is to provide a hygroscope which may be mounted upon a pocket pen or pencil and conveniently carried about by the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a weather change indicating device which may be used as an advertising medium, and which is of simple construction, efficient in operation, which may be manufactured on a commercial scale and one which is not so difiicult to make as to be beyond the reasonablecost of such a contrivance.

Other objects and advantages will be in part evident to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out hereinafter as the description thereof proceeds.

In the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is aperspective view showing the device as mounted upon a conventional lead pencil,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the device as shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken along line IIIIII of Figure 2, looking in direction of arrows, and

Figure 4 is a developed view of a sheet of changeable humidity indicating material. I

In carrying out my invention I may use any of the well known materials that have the characteristic of chang- 7 ing color upon the absorption of moisture as it occurs under various degrees of humidity. One such material is a reagent such as cobalt chloride that is blue when dry and changes through various graduations of color to salmon or pink when its moisture absorbing capacity is reached. However, I do not limit my invention to this particular reagent as there are other reagents such as of copper, iron and nickel which change color as moisture is absorbed or given oif.

As indicated in the drawing, my device is particularly adapted for mounting upon a conventional penor pencil v and is here illustrated as composed of a cylindrical transparent protective member 10, which is slidably mounted upon a pencil 11, of hexagonal cross section. Wrapped around the pencil 11, as is more clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing there is a sheet of moisture absorbent material 12, which is visible through the transparent protective cover 10.

In order to expose the sheet of moisture absorbent material 12 to changing atmospheric conditions, the cover forming member 10 is shown as having circumferentially s ate 1 N 2,977,798 Patented Apr. 4, 1961 spaced slots 13, at each end which provide for the entrance of moisture to the moisture absorbent sheet of material 12. These slots 13 also form fingers 14, which when bent inward as shown frictionally engage the pencil and support the major portion of the cover 10 in outwardly spaced relation about the sheet of moisture absorbent material 12 While the sheet of moisture absorbent material 12 may take any desired form, I have in Figure 4 of the drawings shown it as a sheet of moisture absorbent material having a major portion 15, upon which advertising material may be imprinted. To the left of this area 15, there are shown four different color squares with which the changing color of the area 15 may be compared as a guide to interpret the weather conditions as determined by the color thereof. In this arrangement the upper square designated by the numeral 16 is salmon or pink, and when the area 15 is of like color this would indicate an approaching storm ora condition of rain. The next lower square 17 will be grey in color and when a like color appears in the. area 15, this would indicate .a change in humidity. A still lower square 18 is of light blue and when a corresponding color appears in the area 15, this will indicate fair weather. A final square 19 is of a darker blue and when the area 15 corresponds in color, the weather will be dry. An area 20 below the dotted line represents a lapped portion when the sheet 12 is wrapped around the pencil.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose my invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated a specific form and "arrangement, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific form disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and all such changes as come Within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An advertising device, comprising a loosely rolled rectangular sheet of absorbent material treated with a humidity responsive color changing reagent and loosely rolled as a cylindrical unit which may be slipped over a pencil or the like, and a tubular protective member of transparent material with an inside diameter sufficient to accommodate the loosely rolled cylinder of absorbent material with an enclosed air space therearound and having its ends notched to form fingers which bend inwardly and serve when placed upon a pencil or the like to retain the roll of absorbent material within the air space formed by said tubular member.

2. An advertising device, comprising a sheet of moisture absorbent material treated with a chemical reagent having color changing characteristics responsive to changes in humidity, said sheet of material being loosely rolled to form a cylinder having an inside diameter sufiicient to slip freely over a conventional pocket pen or pencil, and a tubular member of transparent material of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of said loosely rolled sheet of material having its ends notched and deformed inwardly to form a protective covering through which air may circulate over said sheet of material when Wrapped loosely about a pen or pencil.

3. An advertising device, comprising a tubular member of transparent material having its ends notched and exchamber formed by said tubular member of transparent material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cuckson Dec. 8, 1896 Hagel Nov. 13, 1951 Anderegg Aug. 24, 1954 Dean Mar. 27, 1956 Thomas Dec. 10, 1957 

